United States National Arboretum
No admission feeDrive or walk 446 acres of gardens in Northeast DC, see the old Capitol columns on a meadow hill and the bonsai museum, all free.

Photo: NPS Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Walk among ponds of lotus and water lilies and look for herons and beavers in Washington's largest remaining tidal marsh.
1550 Anacostia Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20019 · Washington, DC
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens began as W.B. Shaw's commercial lily ponds in 1912, and Congress bought them in 1938 to save them from river dredging. Today the National Park Service tends ponds of rare water lilies and lotus beside Kenilworth Marsh, the largest tidal marsh left in the city. Lotus blooms peak in the hot summer months, when the park holds its Lotus and Water Lily Festival. Bird watchers have logged 257 species here. Entry and parking are free, and Deanwood Metro station is about half a mile away.
The closest stops to Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Drive or walk 446 acres of gardens in Northeast DC, see the old Capitol columns on a meadow hill and the bonsai museum, all free.
1.5 mi awayMore like this
A Maryland-certified heritage area promoting historic sites, trails and cultural attractions across Prince George's County.
Transit: reachable by public transit
2.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
A 35-acre historic yet active burial ground on Capitol Hill with nearly 70,000 burials.
Transit: reachable by public transit
2.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
DC's buzziest food hall: dozens of vendors slinging oysters, arepas, pasta, and ice cream in a revived 1930s market.
Transit: reachable by public transit
2.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink
Stroll Capitol Hill's largest park to see the 1876 Emancipation statue and the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial.
3.0 mi awayMore like this
A 2.5-acre community park in the NoMa area of Washington, D.C., with a large lawn, playground, dog park, gardens, and a cafe space.
3.1 mi awayMore like this